Barmen cleared over drink death

IN a landmark decision, a court ruled that a man who died from acute alcohol poisoning, was responsible for his own drinking and bar staff who served him could not be blamed.

Two hotel staff at Hayes’s Hotel, Thurles, were cleared of the manslaughter of a resident who died after a night’s drinking in which he downed drinks, including a combination of up to 10 shots served in a pint glass.

In the first case of its kind in this country, Judge Tom Teehan directed a jury at Nenagh Circuit Court to find bar manager, Gary Wright, aged 34 and barman, Aidan Dalton, aged 28, not guilty of the manslaughter of Graham Parish, aged 26, from East Lancashire, England.